


chamomile tea

by feychella



Series: soft maplekeene [8]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Coming Out, Cooking, M/M, Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:55:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25749274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/feychella/pseuds/feychella
Summary: Fitzroy brings Argo home to meet his mother.
Relationships: Argo Keene & Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, Argo Keene/Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt
Series: soft maplekeene [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1959193
Comments: 10
Kudos: 55





	chamomile tea

**Author's Note:**

> i choose not to see the confirmed marriage proposal

The round door slams open and Fitzroy runs a tired hand through his hair. Argo bounces inside his house, holding their suitcases. Fitz walks down the long, circular hallway, dragging Argo behind him. Before he enters the kitchen, he squeezes Argo’s hand before letting go. Argo pats his broad shoulders and runs a hand through his own navy hair before stepping into the kitchen after Fitzroy.

His mother stands in the kitchen, red bandanna tied over her dark hair. Dendra turns with a bright expression on her face and Fitz's heart swells when she looks him up and down. He puffs out his chest as she notices his height and smiles, proud of him. He could still be her knight, here in the Vale. She sets her mug of tea down and leaps towards the two of them, flinging herself into Fitzroy's arms.

“Fitzroy! Oh, I see you’ve brought a friend. You must be the Argo I’ve heard so much about. What a pretty ring! Special lady at home?” He stutters and she waves the question away. She gives Fitzroy a kiss on the cheek and embraces Argo in a warm hug. Fitz stares at his own silver engagement ring. Yeah, this was going to be harder than he expected. Argo quirks a brow at Fitz over her shoulder. _Friend?_ He shakes his curls and glances around the kitchen, suddenly nervous.

He hadn’t told her that he had a boyfriend, much less that they were _engaged._ How would she even respond? Would she be proud of him? Would she refuse to come to the wedding? _Special lady at home?_ What if she asked him about his dating life? No, that would be weird. Or would it be a totally fair question? Fitzroy’s heart rate spikes when she turns to look at him, question on her lips. Maybe she already knew. No, how could she know? He takes a deep breath, preparing to answer all her questions. His thoughts race and he struggles to swallow. He can already hear her saying the words, asking him if he-

“Do you want to help make dinner? It’s just pasta, but you can make the sauce.”

“Oh-uh, yeah...I’d love to!”

“Is there anything I can do, Ms. Maplecourt?”

“Oh, you can call me Dendra! Why don’t you cut some chicken?”

Argo mutters under his breath as he wanders towards the cutting board and Fitzroy giggles. Dendra pats his back affectionately and hugs Fitzroy around the waist as he starts the stove up.

Staring out the window, he watches little kids chase after each other, flower crowns on their heads. The houses under the hills glow with fireflies as the early evening starts to settle over the Vale. The sky turns pink and Dendra taps a stone of Farspeech, mounted to the wall. Music starts playing in the little kitchen and she sweeps the chicken into the oven, sprinkling cheese on top. Fitzroy tosses a little bit of extra cheese in after her, before leaning on the counter next to Argo. _I should tell her. She should know._ He takes a deep breath.

“Ma-”

“Fitz, I need to run to the market and get some basil. I’m going to trust you two in the kitchen.” She tries to kiss Fitzroy’s cheek again and he leans down. She glances over to where Argo is starting on the pasta. “You must be an expert cook, Mr. Keene.” Fitz stifles a laugh as she sweeps out of the house, door closing gently behind her.

“Mr. Keene? Call me Dendra? What is all that about?” Argo boosts himself up onto the counter and swings his legs around Fitzroy’s waist. Fitz leans back against his chest and hums.

“I promise, I’m going to tell her. Tonight, maybe after dinner. She likes you already though.” _The sauce._ He stands up and Argo ruffles his hands through his hair, tugging him towards his lips. Fitz groans and starts stirring the sauce again, towel slung over his shoulder. Argo straps an apron around him, then sits on the counter, staring blankly at his face. Fitzroy crinkles his eyebrows and sets his ladle down, fists on the shiny wood. Argo lights a candle - jasmine, of course - and hums a song under his breath.

“What?”

“You’re pretty when you’re focused.”

Fitz rolls his eyes and watches Argo fiddle with the stone of Farspeech, trying to search for a song. An upbeat tune blasts at full-volume out of the stone and Argo hops off the counter, taking Fitz’s hand and pulling him towards the center of the little kitchen. 

“I have to stir the sau-”

“Don’t you remember this song? From our first date, in the coffee shop.”

“When you kissed me. Very forward of you.”

“You liked it.”

Fitzroy raises his arm in the air and Argo spins gently. His back is against Fitz’s chest and the two of them sway to the beat. He turns to stir the sauce, sipping it to make sure it was just like his mother's. Argo starts writhing, doing some horrible dance, face concentrated. Fitzroy leans on the counter and watches him try to dance on his own. A sleepy laugh rumbles out of him and he pulls Argo close to him by the waist.

“Keep it up and they’ll call the clerics for an exorcism.”

“You talk too much.” Argo glowers at him before pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.

“You like it.”

The two of them box step in the kitchen, steps soft and light on the hardwood. Argo’s grip is firm and steady as they finish their dance. Fitzroy breaks away from him, rushing over to the sauce, stirring it wildly. Argo yanks him down to his level to kiss him on the lips. Fitzroy tangles his hands in Argo's navy hair and tugs him closer. Warmth radiates from the two of them and he doesn't hear the door open behind him. Dendra stands in the doorway, hands occupied with giant grocery bags. Fitz turns around to see her, eyes wide in surprise. She gulps and crosses towards the counter, setting the ingredients down.

“So, uh, I got the basil…”

“Ma, I-”

“Uh, Ms. Maplecourt-” Dendra gives Argo a pointed look. “...Dendra, uh, Fitz and I-”

“We're getting married.” Fitzroy finishes his sentence. Argo's jaw drops and he stares at Fitzroy. He swallows, scared. _I should've waited. After dinner. I could have ruined everything after dinner._ When his mother looks at him, he forgets how to breathe. He wasn't expecting her to be _able_ to look at him. Her face breaks into a huge smile and she takes a cautious step towards the two of them.

“Oh my goodness! Congratulations! _When_ were you going to tell me this?” She glares at Fitzroy, playfully, and his breath hitches in his throat. She wasn't really mad, was she? At least, not for him being...not for him marrying a man.

“I didn’t know what you’d say.” His voice comes out quieter than he expected and Argo squeezes his hand. Dendra opens her arms and he collapses into them, holding onto his mother like a lifeline. The tears start coming and he doesn’t brush them away. She pats his back and he feels Argo’s arms around the two of them. He starts sobbing harder when Dendra throws an arm around his husband, too. Argo curls up against his chest and Fitzroy blindly clings to the both of them. He sniffles and she thumbs the tears off of his cheek, hands warm against his cold face. Argo has his arms around his waist and Fitz pats his back, unsteady. He opens his mouth to talk and another choked sob comes out of him. _Stop trying to talk it out and just cry, goddammit,_ he can hear Argo's voice in his head, and he relaxes into his mom's embrace.

“Shh….shh, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay, Fitzroy. I love you.”

“I love you too, Ma.”

They settle down at the little wooden dinner table and dig into dinner. Fitz’s appetite returns and he munches on some bread as Argo tells stories of his time on the sea to his mother. She shovels more pasta onto Argo’s plate and he sits nervously, still sure that there must be _some_ negative to his grand reveal. Surely she’d have something bad to say about it. She whisks their plates away and he scrubs at the dishes. Dendra rests her head between his shoulder blades and listens to his heart. _You're my heart,_ her eyes say. She reaches for his hand, he takes it, and they stand at the window, silent conversation rising in the air between them.

They sit in the garden, among the lavender, and sip chamomile tea as the moon slips out from behind the clouds. Children hoot as they skip from house-to-house and Argo waves cheerily at them. They stare at him and giggle excitedly before running inside for their own dinner. They could have this life, here in the Vale. Maybe they'd have kids one day, running around and causing trouble. God knows they'd caused enough trouble between the two of them. Argo leans his head on Fitz’s shoulder and he squeezes his husband's hand, silver ring cool against his skin. Dendra puts a blanket around the two of them and lets them sit there under the sparkling night sky. Argo falls asleep on his shoulder and Fitz rubs small circles on his thumb. He carries Argo inside, shutting the door gently behind him, and snuggles into bed with him. He rests his head on Argo's back and learns how to be quiet for once in his life.


End file.
